Inside and outside of Oakland

Michigan GOP push into Detroit: A serious or symbolic effort?

Are Michigan Republicans, who control the state legislature and governor's office, getting serious about winning statewide federal offices?

While they've been successful at persuading voters to pick GOP majorities for state offices, voters have cast their lot with Democrats for higher offices.

Notably, Michigan has backed President Barack Obama twice and, last year, returned Democrat Debbie Stabenow to the U.S. Senate for a third six-year term.

Now the Michigan GOP is opening an office in Detroit, and they're bringing in a high profile Republican to herald the Friday morning event.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul,
a tea party Republican and potential presidential candidate in 2016, is
scheduled to join Michigan Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostak
and Republican National Committee Michigan Director of African-American
Engagement Wayne Bradley for the 10 a.m. event at the office on
Livernois, just north of Seven Mile Road.
The most visible race in 2014 will the U.S. Senate contest between Republican Terri Lynn Land and Bloomfield Township Democrat and U.S. Rep. Gary Peters for the seat being vacated by Democrat U.S. Sen Carl Levin.
Paul, 50, recently won a presidential straw poll
taken at the every-other-year Republican Leadership Conference on
Mackinac Island in September, indicating his popularity among
conservative Republicans.
How much effect Rand's profile and the GOP push into Detroit will have, however, remains questionable in the predominantly Democratic city.
But the Detroit office opening may indeed send a signal that the GOP isn't going to go down without a fight this time when it comes to elections for federal office.